Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-01
A Typographical View
of the State.
PHYSICAL OUTLINES AND FEATURES.
An Invaluable Map Prepared Specially
for the s. ReeOrd- Union Our
Golden State Empire.

graphical features presented in this map
are carefully reproduced from an agrieult-
ural map published by the Interior De-
partment, accompanying the reports of the
tenth census of the United States. The
deiineations are from actual surveys and
explorations, and, therefore, completely
authentic. The map presents at a single
view a vast array OF fact bearing upon the
resources Of the State, and affords more
nearly an adequate idea of the great ma
terial wealth of California than anything
heretofore published. 1t will, therefore,
repay careful examination and study, and
20 such critical analysis the attention of
the reader is invited.
The darkest shading upon the map,
bounded by small white lines. presents
the area Of alluyial lands and embraces
the great Sacramento and San Joaquin I
valleys. The western flank of the Sierra
Nevada is divided into two classifcations |
First, the lands lying between the alluyial |
lands and below the line of equal eleva- |
sion 1000 feet, designated, on the fortieth |
parallel of north latitude, A B. Second |
the lands lying between the 1000 feet ele- |
walton, and the line of equal elevation at |
1900 feet, designated on the same parallel |
as c. The letters A, B and c are, there- |
fore, at three separate lies of elevation-A |
being the line at the foot of the primary |
foothills; B, the line of equal elevation at |
1000 feet, and c, the line of equal eleva- |
Eion at 4, 600 feet.
OUTLINES OF VALLEYS.
The chief valleys of the Coast Range
and the eastern slope of the Sierras are in |
dictated by small white lines running
northwest and southeast These valleys |
are somewhat lighter than the ground of
the map. By those familiar with the
geography of California they may be
easily traced, as, for illustration the level
lands around Los Angeles are designated i
by lines as above indicated, and show the
arabic area of the lands in that vicinity
The darker shading in the region repre- 7
SCENTS barren hills. Still beyond, to the
southeast, lies the Colorado Desert, while
the large area, 200 miles wide east and
west, and over four hundred miles north
and south, embraces the Moiave Desert, in
Guiding the northerly portion of the Colo
RADIO Desert.
The principal coast valleys, such as Santa
Clara, Napa, Sonoma, etc, have been given
lighter shade to designate their position
upon the map North of the line desig-
mated is the line dividing Northern and
Southern California The Coast Range
mills southwest from San Francisco to the
line are somewhat barren, owing to the de-
dciency Of RAINFALL fact too well known
20 require further comment South of
that line, to San Diego, the hills are en-
tirely barren, owing to 4 still greater de-
Seiency of rainfall. In the northerly por-
lion, yet still south of San Francisco, the
hills have much fertility and some capa-
bility for productiyeness and northwest
from San Francisco the hill land is, much
of it, susceptible of the highest cultiva-
sion, as in the case of Napa valley, where
foothill soil is greatly preferred for viii
culture.
SACRAMENTO AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS
AND THEIR FOOTHILLS.
Eastward from the line of equal eleva-
walton at 1000 feet is the great timber
region of the State Its outlines on the
map may be traced by darker shade, still
somewhat lighter than the alluvial lands
of the Sacramento and San joaquin val
geys. North of the thirty-frst parallel of
north latitude (which may be found by
figures in the border Of the map) and in |
most every square mile of territory, lying |
eastward from the line dividing the allu-
vial lands from the primary foothills is |
the great mineral belt still one of the |
great sources of prosperity of this common
wealth. The comparative areas of land |
presented are very instructive. The Sac !
ramento and San Joaquin valleys COM |
prise about y per cent of the entire area |
Of the State, and embrace 12000,- |
900 acres of land The region lying between !
The alluvial lands and the line of equal |
elevation Of 1000 feet comprises about |
100000 acres Between the 1000 and |
and 1000 feet lines, of equal elevation, |
there is embraced about 100000 acres.
These three distinctively classified areas
embrace, therefore, 100000 acres of
land, which, with the coast valleys imme-
diately tributary to San Francisco and
such Of the hill lands in the coast range
As are capable of cultivation, comprise
about 100000 acres more of arabic area,
making in the aggregate about 100000
acres of cultivatable land The capabil-
isy of much of the land is a question that
can only be determined by future expert
mental development.
TIMBER LANDS OF THE sIERRAs.
AS to the timber lands of the uplifted
regions of the Sierra Nevada, they already
possess a timber and mineral wealth of the
highest industrial and financial value to
she State They should remain for all
time as they exist to-day-timber lands
and the timber growing thereon should not
be removed with such expedition as to de-
nude any portion of them of their existing
density There are important hydro
graphical reasons for this conclusion, which
will not be considered fully here. Let it
suffice for the present to say that the
darkly shaded region occupying the east
ern portion Of the State, and representing
the middle and higher attitudes of the
Sierra Nevada, are the great stor-
age areas of water in the form of snow.
They exert an all-important influence on
she annual rainfall of the country, and on
the preservation of the volume of water in
the rivers, so necessary to the proper fer
tilization of the agricultural lands which
lie below.
THE CLIMATE OF CALIFORNIA,
Which in modern times has played so con-
spicuous part In attracting immigration
from the Eastern States and Europe, is APP
proximately the same for distance of
twelve hundred miles parallel with the Pa
cifc ocean. BY this we state general fact
which is subject to local modification.
Anywhere below the line of 1000 feet of
equal elevation on the western flank of the
Sierras, inhabitants will be found familiar
with all portions of the State, firmly
grounded in the opinion that their particu-
lar locality is blessed with the most salu-
Drions climate in the world Residents of
the foothill region are as rule immoYably
convinced that nowhere else under the sun
does mere existence bestow such high en-
joyment upon its possessor. On the broad
plains of the San joaquin and the Sacra-
mento an occasional inhabitant is found
willing to admit that some slight modifca-
tion of summer heat would be an improve